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THE AMERICAN POULTERER'S COMPANION. 



OCTAGON POULTRY-HOUSE. 



The above figure represents the elevation of a 

 neat, pretty, and convenient poultry-house late- 

 ly erected near Factoryville, Staten Island. It 

 is designed to accommodate from twenty-five to 

 thirty common-sized fowls. The octagon form 

 was preferred on account of economy, as it takes 

 less materials and labor to inclose a given num- 

 ber of feet in an octagon than in a square or 

 oblong form. It is more ornamental too. The 

 object for placing it on piles was to prevent the 

 encroachments of rats, mice, and other vermin, 

 such as skunks, minks, and weazels. Rats are 

 particularly annoying, as they not only devour 

 the grain, but suck the eggs and kill the young 

 chickens. Where fowls were fed in a trough, 

 we have known them to contend with and even 

 drive the fowls from their food. 



This building is ten feet in diameter and six 

 feet and a half high. The sills are 4 by 4, and 

 the plates 3 by 4 joists, halved and nailed at the 

 joints. It is sided with inch and a quarter spruce 

 plank, tongued and grooved. No upright tim- 

 bers were used. The floor and roofing are of 

 the same kind of plank. To guard against leak- 

 age by shrinking, the joints may be battened 



with lath or other strips of thin boards. An 

 eight-square frame supports the top of the raft- 

 ers, leaving an opening of ten inches in diame- 

 ter, on which is placed an octagon chimney for 

 a ventilator, which makes a very pretty finish. 

 The piers should be either cedar, chestnut, or 

 locust, two feet high, and set on flat stones. 

 The letter D designates the door; W, W, win- 



GEOUND PLAN. 



dows; L, latticed window to admit air, with n 

 shutter to exclude it when necessary; E, en- 

 trance for the fowls with a sliding door ; P, plat- 

 form for the fowls to alight on when going in ; 

 R, R are roosts placed spirally, one end attach- 

 ed to a post near the centre of the room, and 

 the other end to the wall ; the first or lower- 

 most one two feet from the floor, and the oth- 

 ers eighteen inches apart, and rising gradually 

 to the top, six feet from the floor. These roosts 

 will accomodate forty ordinary-sized fowls. F, 

 F is a board floor, on an angle of about forty- 

 five degrees, to catch and carry down the drop- 

 pings of the fowls. This arrangement renders 

 it much more convenient in cleaning out the 

 manure, which should be frequently done. 



The space beneath this floor is appropriated 

 to nests, twelve in number, fifteen inches wide, 

 eighteen inches deep, and eighteen inches high. 

 In order to give an appearance of secretiveness, 

 which it is well known the hen is so partial to, 

 the front is latticed with strips of lath. By 

 this arrangement a free circulation of air is ad- 

 mitted, which adds much to the comfort of the 

 hens while sitting. 



